Struck to impeccable Proof quality – the highest standard of minting – this remarkable coin forms part of Britain’s build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while capturing the continuing spirit of pride in our nation. As with all UK legal tender coins, the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse.
Designer Shane Greeves worked closely with the Royal Mint Engraving Team to produce this special coin that combines a stirring quote with a symbolic image to encapsulate the emotion, the wonders and greatness of Britain and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The clock face of the Palace of Westminster symbolises democracy and the key role Britain has played through its Parliament in bringing democracy to the world.
‘This design plays on a different view of the famous clock face. As Big Ben is so recognisable the world over, taking a different view gives it an unusual, but still recognisable aspect.’ Shane Greeves, Designer
The inscription on the coin, ‘Nations touch at their summits’, is by the nineteenth-century British businessman, essayist and journalist Walter Bagehot and is a way of referring to the Olympic Games as the pinnacle of sporting achievement as well as to Westminster as the symbol of a nation.
Until recently, old pre-decimal pennies were placed or removed from the pendulum to ensure that the clock keeps accurate time within two-fifths of a second a day. Now, in celebration of Big Ben’s 100th anniversary and for the first time, a Big Ben £5 coin struck by the Royal Mint has appropriately replaced some pennies.